WASHINGTON, May 17 (Reuters) – The US Department of Justice on Tuesday sued Steve Wynn, former chief executive of Wynn Resorts (WYNN.O), for forcing him to register as a Chinese agent and accused him of lobbying the then President Donald Trump on the orders of Beijing in 2017
Wynn’s lawyers dismissed the allegations, saying he had never acted as an agent for the Chinese government and “had no obligation to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act” (FARA).
At least from June to August 2017, Wynne contacted Trump and members of his administration to submit a Chinese request to Trump to revoke the visa of a Chinese businessman who sought asylum in the United States, the agency said.
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The department’s civil lawsuit alleges that it advised Win in 2018, 2021 and April 2022 to register as China’s FARA agent, but he refused to do so. Wynn resigned as CEO of Wynn Resorts in early 2018.
“When a foreign government uses an American as its agent to influence political decisions in the United States, FARA gives the American people the right to know,” said Matthew G. Olson, assistant attorney general for the ministry’s national security department.
Steve Wynn, Chairman and CEO of Wynn Resorts, speaks at the Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills, California, USA, May 3, 2017. REUTERS / Mike Blake
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The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. A declaratory decision is sought that Wynn has an obligation to register under FARA.
Wynn’s lawyers, Reid Weingarten and Brian Heberlig, said they disagreed with FARA’s legal interpretation and looked forward to proving their case in court.
A statement from the Justice Department said Wynn had acted at Beijing’s request “out of a desire to protect his business interests in Macau”, where Wynn Resorts operates a luxury hotel and casino.
Wing submitted the visa revocation request to the Trump administration businessman on behalf of Sun Lijun, a former deputy minister in China’s Ministry of Public Security, the statement said.
It did not name the Chinese businessman in question, but said the man left China in 2014 and was later accused of corruption by Beijing.
Wing conveyed Beijing’s request to Trump over dinner and by telephone, and held numerous discussions with senior White House and National Security Council officials on arranging a meeting with Sun and other Chinese officials, the ministry said.
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Report by Rami Ayyub; Edited by Tim Ahman and Howard Goller
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